Asia/Pacific
US friendly fire kills 16 Afghan police
A US airstrike killed 16 Afghan police and wounded two others in Helmand province, officials said Saturday.
North Korea's economic growth at 17-year high
North Korea's economy grew at its fastest pace in 17 years in 2016, South Korea's central bank said on Friday, despite the isolated country facing international sanctions aimed…
Reporters
Video: Afghans live in fear as kidnappings soar
Last year, more than 300 people were kidnapped in Afghanistan. Although abductions of foreigners by the Taliban tend to make the headlines, more than 90% of the victims are in…
The Debate
Tightening the screws: The two faces of Xi Jinping's China
He's already China's most powerful president in decades, so why does Xi Jinping seem to be tightening his grip even further? The strict measures include the treatment of Nobel…
Thailand's king given direct control of palace wealth
A new law giving Thailand's king direct control over royal assets worth billions of dollars went into force Monday, the latest move by an increasingly assertive monarch to…
'Taliban' suicide bomber kills two soldiers in Pakistan
A suicide bomber struck a vehicle carrying members of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) in Pakistan's northwest Monday, killing two and wounding six others, police said, in an…
S. Korea seeks talks with North to ease rising tensions
South Korea on Monday offered to hold rare military talks with North Korea, aiming to ease tensions after Pyongyang tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile.
China cremates body of dissident Liu Xiaobo
China cremated the body of imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, who died this week after a battle with liver cancer amid international criticism of Beijing for not…
Reporters
China dreams of superpower status on the football pitch
China has been redrawing the world's football map in recent months. Thanks to virtually unlimited funds, players and coaches from some of the best European clubs are flocking to…
Liu Xiaobo's death sparks worldwide sorrow, anger
World leaders and human rights advocates expressed sorrow and anger Thursday over the death of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, who died in police custody while being…
Liu Xiaobo's death sparks sorrow, anger among activists
As tributes were paid in Hong Kong to Liu Xiaobo...Reactions over the death of the Chinese dissident were beginning to fall from further afield.
Chinese Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo dies at 61
China's Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo died Thursday while still in custody following a battle with cancer, authorities said, after officials ignored international pleas to let him…
The Interview
Songlines through opera: The tales of Australia's indigenous communities
Annette Young meets Australian Aboriginal opera singer, Deborah Cheetham, who is a member of the "Stolen Generation." For nearly 100 years up until the 1970s, thousands of…
Focus
Paradise lost? Thai island of Ko Phangan fights plastic waste
In this edition we head to Thailand's Koh Phangan island. What was once a small and remote fishing community has become a mass tourist destination fuelled by a party scene of…
